Rear panel for women&#39;s knitted garments and method of knitting same



April 6, 1965 B. D. GORDON ETAL 3,175,430

REAR PANEL FOR WOMEN'S KNITTED GARMENTS 34- F I G- I {HIM I BARNETT D.GORDON EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE AN ATTORNEYS April 1965 B. D. GORDON ETAL3,176,430

REAR PANEL FOR WOMENS KNITTED GARMENTS AND METHOD OF KNITTING SAME 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 29, 1961 INVENTORS. GORDON N. 3 at a s s. a A

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EDWARD J .BOUTILLETTE BARNETT ESTEPHAN DER ESTEPHANlAN ATTORNEYS P 1965B. D. GORDON ETAL 3, 76, 8

REAR PANEL FOR WOMENS KNITTED GARMENTS AND METHOD OF KNITTING SAME FiledMay 29, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 TROUSERS CENT E R BAG K SIDE BACKINVENTORS. BARNETT o. GORDON ESTEPHAN DER ESTEPHANIAN EDWARD J.BOUTILLETTE ATTORNEYS B. o. GORDON ETAL 3,176,480 REAR PANEL FOR WOMEN'SKNITTED GARMENTS AND METHOD OF KNITTING SAME 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 4GOURSES-- April 6, 1965 Filed May 29, 1961 BARNETT ESTEPHAN DERESTEPHANIAN BY EDWARD United States Patent 3,176,480 REAR PANEL FORWGMENS KNITTED GAR- MENTS AND METHOD OF KNITTING SAME Barnett D. Gordon,Brookline, Estephan der Estephanian, Worcester, and Edward J.Boutillette, Ofiord, Mass, assignors to M.K.M. Knitting Mills, Inc.,Manchester, N.H., a corporation of New Hampshire Filed May 29, 1961,Ser. No. 113,316 3 Claims. (GI. 66-189) This invention relates to amethod of shaping parts for womens knitted garments in the process ofknitting them. More particularly, the-invention relates to a rnethod ofknitting a rear panel for a womans swimsuit in such a way as to providefor a concave curvature at the mid portion and a convex curvature at thelower portion for a smooth fit on the small of the back and thebuttocks, respectively. This is done,'according to the invention, byfirst cutting out paper patterns which may comprise a number of piecesfor a single part of a garment as, for example, the rear panel of awomans swimsuit; Such pieces will have curved edges so that when laidfiat and in contact, there will be gaps between the several pieces.These gaps provide a clue to the problem of arranging buttons on thepattern chain of a flat or fashioning knitting machine so that byshifting loops from some of the needles between the knitting of courses,the resulting fabric will be continuously knitted with no gaps but withthe desired concave and convex shaping.

For a more complete understanding of the invention,

reference may be had tothe following description of the invention and tothe drawings, of which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational iew of the rear panel of a womans knittedswimsuit embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an outline, on a larger scale, of the panel shown in FIGURE1 folded double on its vertical median;

FIGURES is a magnified photographic reproduction of a portion of thefabric indicated in FIGURE .1;

FIGURE 4 is an outline of two paper patternjpieces representing half ofthe swimsuit panel shown in FIG- URE l, but on a larger scale;

knitting, a pattern is-first laid out.

FIGURE Sis a fragmentary elevational view of the upper portion of askirt shaped by knitting instead of darts;

FIGURE 6 is an outline of the upper portion of a paper pattern for theskirt shown in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is an outline of a paper pattern for half a.

pair of trousers or slacks for women; and

FIGURE 8 is a diagrammatic illustration of the narrowing sequence of thefabric portion shown in FIG- URE3.

over the buttocks of the wearer and has a shallow depresv sion 14 in itsmid area to fit in the small of the back of the wearer. If the rearpanel is folded double along its vertical median lfiwhile unattached-toany other part,

the outline of the doubled panel is somewhat as indicated in FIGURE 2.The bulges 12 are not illustrated in this figure, but the shallow hollow14 at the small of the back is indicated by the concavity of the line offold.

, each other.

ice

Ordinarily, a well-fitted back panel of a swimsuit or other form-fittinggarment for women must have narrow pieces of the fabric cutout and theresulting edges stitched together. According to the present invention,the shaping of the rear panel is done by the knittingv machine alone,two narrowing fingers being employed to shift loops of yarn on many ofthe needles as hereinafter described.

In order to obtain a proper form-fitting contour by Since the panel willbe symmetrical with respect tothe vertical median, the pattern canconveniently be laid. out for half the panel. Such a pattern is shown inFIGURE 4 and consists of two pieces 18 and 26. representingthe side andcentral portions, respectively of a rear half-paneh When properly shapedas shown, the mutually confronting edges of the parts 18 and 21) of thepattern curve in such a way as ,to touch at only two places 22 and 24,leaving gaps 26 and 28 between the parts,

We have foundthat by merging wales along transfer lines such as areconventionally indicated at 30, 32 in 7 FIGURE 1, when knitting a panelfrom bottom tortop on a fashioning machine, a one-piece seamless rearpanel equipped with enough narrowing points to take loops of yarns fromknitting needles on the machine extending from any part'of thetransferline 30 or the transfer line'32 to the adjacent selvage of the panel.When loops of yarn are taken from needles by points of the two narrowingfingers, the loops are shifted toward the center of the panel a distanceof one needle-space, that is, the shifting movements of the narrowingfingers are toward As hereinafter described, when the narrowing fingershave been moved toward each other to shift yarn loops, sometimes they atonce move back again a needle space while at other times they remain inthe positions reached in the shifting operation. Each such shifting ofloops of yarn by the narrowing finger on the left results in thetermination of one of the wales by merging it into the wale next to theright of it (when the narrowing finger is returned at once to itsprevious position after shifting loops of yarn) or'into the Wale .nextto the left of it (when the narrowing finger does of an area of aswimsuit panel corresponding to the rectangle 34- indicated by brokenlines in FIGURE 1..

Approximately one quarter of the left transfer line 30 appears in FIGURE3. Following is a detailed descripticn, by way of example, of thetransfer line partly illustrated in FIGURE 3, it being understood thatthe numbers given may vary for swimsuits of other sizes or when using adifierent yarn, and that corresponding operations take place to form thetransfer line 32 in theright half of the panel. The knitting starts atthe bottom of the panel and proceeds upward. The narrowing begins at 40where wales W and W merge, this being done by means of a narrowingfinger (not shown) which takes the yarn loops on the needles to the leftof wale W and shifts them one needle space to the right. Then elevencourses the hips.

are knitt'edduring'whichthe narrowing fingerdoes not move. 9 ing fingersometimes remaining in place after a shift of yarn loops, and sometimesreturning one needle space toward the leftduring the knitting of thecourses following a shift of loops:

The narrowing Wales merged: finger then 3 and 4 at 42 Stays. 4 and 5 at44 Returns. 2 and 5 at 46 Do. 6 and 5 at 48 Do, 7 and 5 at 50 Do. 8 and5 at 52 Stays. V 5 and 9 at 54 Returns. 10 and 9 at 56 Do. 11 and 9 at58 Do. 12 and 9 at 60 Stays. 9 and 13 at 62 Returns. 14 and 13 at 64 Do.

- 15 and 13 at 66 Do. 16 and 13 at 68 Stays. 13 and 17 at 70 Returns. 18and 17 at 72 Do. 19 and 17 at 74 Do.

,returns a needle space toward the left continues until the upper end ofthe transfer line is reached.

Subsequent operations are as follows, the narrow- At the same time, theother narrowing finger is makingthe transfer line 32 to be a mirrorimage of the transfer line 34) so that the panel 10 is symmetrical with.

respect to its vertical center line. Since the narrowing fingers inmaking the transfer lines 30, 32 advance verge upwardly, the angle ofconvergence being approximately 12 in the panel illustrated in part inFIGURE 3.

It is to be understood that 'therforegoing description of the fabricshown in FIGURE 3 is by way of example only and that the sequence ofyarn loop'shift'ing operations and knitting of courses can be varied fordifferent sizes of panels for swimsuits "or other shaped garments forwomen. The narrowing operations along the transfer lines 39, 32 resultsin a fabric having a surface contour similar 'to that which would beobtained by cutting out four pieces of flexible fabric, two pieces beingshaped like the pattern part 18 and two like the pattern part 20 shownin FIGURE 4 and stitching these pieces together along mutually adjacentside edges.

The application of narrowing in knitting on a fashioning machine may beused for shaping other garments for women. FIGURE 5 is a partial showingof a skirt 85 which is full at the hips but gathered at the waist,

one of the transfer lines 82 indicating the termination of.

intermittently toward each other, the lines 30, 32 con- Wales by mergingbeing indicated conventionally, the

designed to provide proper shaping of the skirt over the.

hips. In like manner, a blank can be knitted on a fashioning machine tobe made into slacks for women, transfer lines for the termination ofwales being estimated from a pattern 90 having gaps 92 for shaping theslacks over 9/93 Pike 66-175 7 1,97 ,708 3/61 Gordon 66-176 2,977,7834/6-1 Crawford 66-189 FOREIGN PATENTS 15,780 9/91 Great Britain.

- centers of the respective buttocks-covering areas and convergingupward at an angle of about.12,.

2. A seamless knitted three-dimensional rear panel for a form-fittinggarment for women having two transfer lines starting approximately atthe centers of respective buttocks-covering areas and extending upward,each said transfer line indicating the locus of points of termination ofindividual wales resulting from narrowing operations inhalf of the-panelduring the knitting of the panel upward, some of said wales terminatingby merging outward into the next Wale toward the nearest selvage, theother said wales terminating by'merging inward into the next waleaway'from the nearest selvage, the inwardly merging Wales and outwardlymerging wales being in a ratio of about three to one.

3. A method of knitting a seamless three dimensional rear panel for aform fitting garment for women, which comprises straight knitting fromthe bottom of the panel to the center of the buttocks coveringareas,'shifting in ward a distance of one needle space by means ofnarrowing fingers all the yarn loops on needles between the centers ofthe buttocks covering areas and the corresponding selvages,knitting'several courses from selvage to selvage, shifting inward adistance of one needle space all the yarn loops on needles between thecenters of the buttocks covering areas and the corresponding selvages,again knitting several courses, and continuing alternately shiftingloops and knitting numbers of selvage-to-selvage courses to form twotransfer" lines extending several inches up from the buttocks coveringareas, the numbers of the courses knitted between successive shifts ofloops being varied, said narrowing fingers being returned after some ofthe loop shifting operations to the position occupied thereby justbefore the shift and being retained in position after each of the otherloop shifting operations, the sequence of knitting and loop shiftingoperations employed in forming substantially the entire length of eachsaid transfer linecomprising several repetitions of the following cycle:

' loops are shifted one needle space,

several courses are knitted during which the narrowing fingers remainstationar loops are shifted one needle space, several courses areknitted during which the narrowing fingers return one needle space,loops are shifted one needle space, several courses are knittedduringwhich the narrowing fingers return one needle space, loops are shiftedone needle space, several courses are knitted during whichthe narrowingfingers return one needle space.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS -DONALD W.PARKER, Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Examiner.

3. A METHOD OF KNITTING A SEAMLESS THREE DIMENSIONAL REAR PANEL FOR AFORM FITTING GARMENT FOR WOMEN, WHICH COMPRISES STRAIGHT KNITTING FROMTHE BOTTOM OF THE PANEL TO THE CENTER OF THE BUTTOCKS COVERING AREAS,SHIFTING INWARD A DISTANCE OF ONE NEEDLE SPACE BY MEANS OF NARROWINGFINGERS ALL THE YARN LOOPS ON NEEDLES BETWEEN THE CENTERS OF THEBUTTOCKS COVERING AREAS AND THE CORRESPONDING SELVAGES, KNITTING SEVERALCOURSES FROM SELVAGE TO SELVAGE, SHIFTING INWARD A DISTANCE OF ONENEEDLE SPACE ALL THE YARN LOOPS ON NEEDLES BETWEEN THE CENTERS OF THEBUTTOCKS COVERING AREAS AND THE CORRESPONDING SELVAGES, AGAIN KNITTINGSEVERAL COURSES, AND CONTINUING ALTERNATELY SHIFTING LOOPS AND KNITTINGNUMBERS OF SELVAGE-TO-SELVAGE COURSES TO FORM TWO TRANSFER LINESEXTENDING SEVERAL INCHES UP FROM THE BUTTOCKS COVERING AREAS, THENUMBERS OF THE COURSES KNITTED BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE SHIFTS OF LOOPS BEINGVARIED, SAID NARROWING FINGERS BEING RETURNED AFTER SOME OF THE LOOPSHIFTING OPERATIONS TO THE POSITION OCCUPIED THEREBY JUST BEFORE THESHIFT AND BEING RETAINED IN POSITION AFTER EACH OF THE OTHER LOOPSHIFTING OPERATIONS, THE SEQUENCE OF KNITTING AND LOOP SHIFTINGOPERATIONS EMPLOYED IN FORMING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF EACHSAID TRANSFER LINE COMPRISING SEVERAL REPETITIONS OF THE FOLLOWINGCYCLE; LOOPS ARE SHIFTED ONE NEEDLE SPACE, SEVERAL COURSES ARE KNITTEDDURING WHICH THE NARROWING FINGERS REMAIN STATIONARY, LOOPS ARE SHIFTEDONE NEEDLE SPACE, SEVERAL COURSES ARE KNITTED DURING WHICH THE NARROWINGFINGERS RETURN ONE NEEDLE SPACE, LOOPS ARE SHIFTED ONE NEEDLE SPACE,SEVERAL COURSES ARE KNITTED DURING WHICH THE NARROWING FINGERS RETURNONE NEEDLE SPACE, LOOPS ARE SHIFTED ONE NEEDLE SPACE, SEVERAL COURSESARE KNITTED DURING WHICH THE NARROWING FINGERS RETURN ONE NEEDLE SPACE.